The chemistry of the chemical products resulting from the ferricyanide oxidation of berberine will be investigated, and the compounds so produced will be tested for their pharmacological activity. Thus, oxidation of berberine with potassium ferricyanide yields the dimer oxybisberberine which can be cleaved in methanolic hydrogen chloride to 8-methoxyberberinephenolbetaine (1). Alternatively, breakage of the dimer with pyridine hydrochloride in pyridine, followed by aqueous work-up, leads to 8,13-dioxo-14-hydroxycanadine (2). The varied chemistry and pharmacological activity of compounds 1 and 2, and their sundry derivatives are being investigated.